The Difference That Matters

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Relaying the message

Bryan Sherwood leads Relay for Life and works with the Student Technology Center.

The Northern
Arizona University chapter of Relay for Life recently raised more than $80,000 for
cancer research. Much of this success is due to the efforts of Bryan Sherwood, the
organization’s executive director, who led a team of fellow students in
holding this year’s all-night fundraising event held on campus April 19th.

The event involved hundreds of students,
staff, and cancer survivors. The goal of the event was to allow attendees to
learn from one another while having fun and raising money towards cancer
research.

Most of the
funds were raised through “relay teams” that competed to see who could raise
the most money. These teams petitioned friends, family, coworkers, and peers for
donations to the cause. This year, there were more than seventy participating teams,
including the Northern Arizona University Office of Residence Life and the
College of Education.

Sherwood says he began working with the
organization before he entered high school.

“While I
don’t have anyone in my family, luckily, that has been affected by cancer, I do
have many family friends who have battled with cancer,” Sherwood says. “From
there, I’ve just grown with it: I was on the committee through high school, and
when I came to Flagstaff, I joined the planning committee."

Sherwood
explains the group enjoyed a significant turnout in attendance on campus, which
helped them to shatter their planned goal of $60,000.

“We did
great this year,” Sherwood says. “We raised more money than we did last year,
and we had a really big showing from the students and community here
at Northern Arizona University.”

Staying connected

When not
guiding the 30-student committee of Relay for Life, Sherwood works with a team
that manages a 40-student office at the Student Technology Center (STC) on campus. As
a computer information systems major and a full-time staff intern with the center, Sherwood
says he and his team work to keep the campus connected and communicating.

“I am one of the supervisors here, and I
work directly with about 40 student workers, managing them and helping them
out on the phones,” Sherwood says. “I also work out in the
residence halls, supporting the campus wired and wireless internet
services.”

Sherwood
began working with the STC his freshman year to help pay for his education, and
it has benefited him in various ways - in recognition of his hard work, ITS
awarded Sherwood a scholarship for the 2012-2013 academic year. As a
first-generation student who is responsible for working and financing his own
way through his undergraduate career, Sherwood says this scholarship was a
hugely important addition to his existing financial aid and the university’s “Pledge” program.

Developing leadership

For
Sherwood, the two sides of his life – volunteering with Relay for Life and
working in the Student Technology Center – have helped him develop the
leadership skills he says have enabled him to pursue new opportunities.

“My major
here at Northern Arizona University gives me a great perspective on the
business side of the IT world,” Sherwood says. “The industry needs more people
who know how to speak about technology,
and how to communicate with everyday people.”

After
graduation, Sherwood will remain with Northern Arizona University as part of
the internship program, and expresses interest in working permanently for the
university.

“One of the benefits of the program is that
it has a built-in transition: you work full-time for a year after you graduate,”
Sherwood says. “I really like working with technology in higher education and
helping students get through their college years while having fun and
learning.”